Jun 22, 2009

Wow... so it has been quite some time since I last updated my blog eh! When I started this blog, I was definately conscious that it meant taking some time out of my life to keep this blog alive, but what can I say? Life just hasn't given me time these last couple of months... and having not been able to update my blog has been killing me! Plus, I've been travelling quite a bit in the meantime, and I'm dying to share with you some delicious memories I'm not ready to forget!

So, let's start with a first destination: PALERMO! Beautiful, sunny, mediterranean, tremendously Italian charming vibrant and colourful Palermo. It had been years that I've wanted to visit this city, and I am so thankful to have finally flown down there to irresistable southern Italy. I was blown away- Palermo turned out being so much more amazing then I thought it would be! From the minute I arrived until my last seconds to boarding on the plane heading back to Paris, I was infatuated by the splendour of the city, it's people...and the food! My goodness- the food- undeniably some of the best I've had in Italy (along with Napoli). If there is a heaven for tastebuds, then that heaven is in Palermo- and for your pleasure, enjoy just some of the hundreds of photos I snapped away while in Sicily- the full set can be viewed on my Flickr stream.

The land of gelatiIt would be criminal to not try an authentic Sicilian cannoli- they are out of this world!

Giant cassata or mini cassatine...another Sicilian sweet specialty

Above: anise seed & almond cookies (which were amazing, I brought some back home with me). These were from "Pasticceria Cappello"- a place that I was told was a "must see"!

Below: Almond goodies, almost but not exactly like amaretti morbidi.

Above: luminously yellow cedro on the beautiful beach of Mondello.

Above: this trip was the first Couchsurfing experience I've had- I was interested in meeting locals, and didnt want to be just a tourist staying at a hotel seeing things from a distance. I met some amazing people, and was so fortunate to have the chance to try a most delicious home made pasta alla norma & spaghetti con bottarga prepared by a lovely Sicilian I met! In return, the next night I prepared a Middle Eastern dinner, it was a wonderful culinary cultural exchange!

Another must try: Arancine, a typical Sicilian specialty.

The markets are phenomenal- a must do when in Palermo. All your senses are tickled and elevated by the sights, sounds and smells... additionally animated by a colourful cast of characters at each market stand selling delicious local produce.

The longest zucchini I've ever seen! Each one measured about 1,5m in length!

Above: typical varities of street food, such as "pane ca meusa" which apparently is not just Siclian, but genuinly Palermitan.

Welcome to cheese heaven!!!

So there you are- just some of the many beautiful things I have seen in Palermo! I hope these visual memories make you want to visit Palermo too if you havent been there yet- let me tell you, it is worth it 110%! :-) Do visit the old quarters of the city, stop by Mondello and look into the turquoise waters and lie down on the sandy beaches, stroll through the incredibly charming village of Monreale, do not leave before having tried a cannolo, a scoop (or two) of gelati, stop by every pasticceria and treat your eyes with some sweetness, wake up early and walk through the markets, get lost through narrow streets and enjoy sights of laundry drying on the balconies, meet some of the friendliest people, enjoy every second and promise yourself that you'll be back again...

I will be back soon with images from another gorgeous destination... see you soon!

ABOUT THIS BLOG

I started Swirl & Scramble because ever since I was a child I enjoyed transforming my kitchen dreams into a reality. Whether it be spontaneous culinary improvisation or well kept family secrets, from savoury to sweet, I needed a place to capture and share these moments. I'm a a curious self-taught cook but have had some basic knowledge at the prestigious Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne and an incredible training experience in the kitchens of the lavish Hotel de Crillon in Paris, France.

I've lived in Greece, Switzerland, France and am now in the NYC area which is a real treat for a culinary lover like myself. In the meantime, I try to travel as much as I can. Most of my travel photography is on my Flickr stream.

You may notice that many of my recipes are of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern influence...the fact is that these origins run in the family and I pretty much grew up on olive oil, onions and garlic!

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the recipes!

Photography is done by myself, MariannaF, unless otherwise stated.

If you are interested in using any of my recipes or photos, please ask- just leave a comment and I will e-mail you right back.

Thank you!

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